This invention relates to a method of making a food package and an associated apparatus, and more particularly to a method of making a food package including a food package tray surrounded by a food package jacket.
The above-cited application discloses a food package including a food package tray surrounded by a food package jacket. That food package provides an attractive package with increased surface area to print indicia, such as food product information and nutritional information. That food package avoids the problems associated with prior art food packages, most notably the food package disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,615.
There is a need, however, to produce the food package disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/298,527, an automated, cost effective, efficient and speedy manner. The food packages should be able to be produced in a stand alone factory or in combination with a food filler line. The method for producing the food packages must be automated and efficient and above all, must produce enough food packages per unit time in order to minimize food packaging costs.